A person was said to be happy if they could meet a friend they could truly open up to, a lover they wouldn’t mind giving everything to, and a rival they desperately wanted to beat, no matter the odds.
So, if that’s the case, Chaejin thought she must be pretty happy herself.
After all, she had found a friend she could confide in and a lover she wouldn’t trade for anything.
And, of course, she had a rival she wanted to win against, no matter what happened.
Recalling stories from ancient texts, Chaejin slowly gripped her sword.
The silver blade reflected the seats of the spectators.
A man sat there, worry and tension etched on his face.
Yu Wol.
The friend she could open her heart to, and the man she truly loved.
He was watching over her. That was why Chaejin couldn’t let her guard down.
Because the woman opposite her was aiming a sword at her.
Hongryeon.
Perhaps her rival for life and her romantic opponent.
With her red hair flowing naturally, she aimed her blade at Chaejin, who spoke softly.
“This might be the last time.”
“Yeah, it could be.”
Hongryeon was a bit surprised to hear how calm her voice was.
Indeed, it was as Chaejin said.
Since their last match, they hadn’t had any real competitions where they’d be going all out to the point of potentially injuring one another.
Hongryeon glanced towards the spectators.
Sitting there was Yu Wol.
And the Sword Saint, Sayoon.
Other disciples had come to cheer as well.
In front of everyone gathered here, she didn’t want to lose.
That’s why Hongryeon suppressed her excited heart as best as she could.
“Yu Wol wouldn’t like this, would he?”
“Probably not.”
If Chaejin and she were going all out in their match, someone would surely get hurt. Just thinking about that made Yu Wol cautious of such duels in the past.
Yet this time, he allowed their confrontation.
Perhaps he understood that they both needed each other to move forward.
No, he certainly did. He always knew a lot.
Chaejin thought of Yu Wol nodding seriously when she spoke sincerely.
Remembering how he always accepted her honestly and faced her head-on, she couldn’t help but relax her expression a bit.
Ah, calm down. It’s time to fight.
“…You’re calm, aren’t you?”
See? Hongryeon caught on.
That sly girl. But Chaejin just smiled.
“I always think of him.”
“…Doesn’t matter, does it?”
Just as she muttered in a low tone, the referee on the arena suddenly shouted.
“Start!!”
There was no need to see who would go first.
Maybe this was what they wanted all along.
Maybe they hadn’t gotten along for a long time.
But ultimately, it seemed they just wanted a good, clean fight.
As those feelings were unleashed, the clash between Hongryeon and Chaejin was bound to be epic.
As the showdown escalated between Hongryeon and Chaejin, there was no way it could be anything less than epic.
– KWA-BOOM!!
With a mighty clash of the great sword and the rising blade, the impact resounded like thunder, the shockwave spreading out from the collision of their weapons.
Yet, their expressions remained unchanged.
Chaejin smiled, while Hongryeon wore a blank face.
– KWA-BOOM!! KWA-BOOM!!
The sounds echoing were unthinkable, mere scraps of metal colliding yet producing explosions that rattled the surroundings.
Every strike between the two shattered the ground, sending stones flying everywhere.
But they didn’t stop.
– KWA-BOOM!!
The intensity grew. As Hongryeon swung down the great sword with all her might, she noticed Chaejin’s expression shift and grit her teeth.
That troublesome girl.
Trying to halt her descending sword was already too late. What once felt like clashes now just felt like cutting through water.
Hongryeon clenched her teeth, and Chaejin pivoted. The sword met the ground before smoothly rising again. If you didn’t dodge, you would get hit.
– WHOOSH!
With a sizzling sensation, Chaejin’s blade brushed past Hongryeon’s cheek, descending back down.
How could she avoid this?
There was only one answer. Hongryeon lowered her torso and slid forward, moving the sword’s handle straight towards Chaejin’s sleek abdomen.
“Ugh!!”
Evading while attacking. As the Hongseong Divine Art’s great sword technique unfolded, Chaejin gritted her teeth, feeling like she’d been hit with a club in the stomach, stumbling back as Hongryeon kept pressing forward.
“Hah!!”
As expected, you’re not dodging.
Just like always.
You always come at me head-on.
In fights.
And…
Chaejin recalled Hongryeon leaning towards Yu Wol.
Hongryeon, with her frustratingly ample chest, tempting Yu Wol.
Of course, Chaejin was confident in her figure, but not as much as Hongryeon’s. That was why it bothered her.
She was someone I liked.
Someone who could lead me.
“Hah!!”
…my innkeeper.
That’s why, like an angry dog going wild, Chaejin swung her blade.
She couldn’t retreat.
And she didn’t want to retreat.
And…
That was the same for Hongryeon.
What was she doing always clinging to Yu Wol, holding his hand, being petted?
I need to approach myself.
I have to be the one to get closer every time.
The sight of Chaejin constantly relying on him didn’t sit well with her.
So, she didn’t back down either.
*
“Hmm…”
Is this really okay?
One could only hold their breath as they observed the fierce clash of these two masters.
With every swing of Hongryeon’s great sword, monumental destruction unfolded.
And every slash of Chaejin’s blade sent ripples of devastating energy spiraling outwards.
As I anxiously watched, I turned to look at the Sword Saint sitting beside me.
“Don’t worry.”
There was a similar incident before. During their duel, when things got dangerous, the Sword Saint said she would step in, and at that time, she had accurately assessed the situation.
So, I should trust that this time too…
“Ugh…”
I heard Sayoon groan. As Chaejin fell after being hit by Hongryeon’s blade, blood erupted from Hongryeon’s arm.
Yet, neither stopped.
Blood flowed from various cuts and bursts all over, but the two women—
No, for the moment, these two beasts were fighting without a care for their surroundings.
“Impressive.”
At that moment, I turned my head at a voice from behind. Myojae and Joo Yeryeong were sitting there.
They didn’t leave after all?
When I looked over, Joo Yeryeong gave me a slight nod with her eyes and said in a low voice.
“…No different from monsters. They’re getting stronger in that situation.”
“Only those who fight for their lives can grow.”
At the Sword Saint’s words, Myojae and Joo Yeryeong didn’t say anything more. They just held their breath and watched.
“What’s the reason for fighting like that?”
When Cheonilhwa asked, the Sword Saint glanced at me. Wait, why am I involved?
“The desire to protect and the passion to win, I suppose. There’s nothing more important for a warrior.”
“Oh? So do you have such feelings, Sword Saint?”
Cheonilhwa asked with curiosity, but she didn’t respond. Just gently brushed her finger against mine.
When I looked at her, she smiled softly.
“Ah.”
Chaeran gasped. The two blood-soaked beauties stared at each other, ready to fall.
“…Looks like they’re about to finish it.”
Hongryeon slowly grabbed her great sword with both hands.
Chaejin pushed her energy into her blade.
Are they trying to use their strongest techniques?
“Moonlight Slash and Meteor Strike… But Meteor Strike alone won’t be enough to block Moonlight Slash.”
Moonlight Slash is a technique to draw out strong energy. Even if it’s not a full moon, Chaejin has already created a half-moon.
So, to counter that, she must use something even stronger. After Meteor Strike…
“…Ugh. This is really nasty.”
“Who’s saying that…!!”
The energy rising from the two intensified. Watching them growl at each other, the Sword Saint relaxed her body slightly, ready to spring into action at any moment.
As she focused, the surroundings turned black. Night was falling.
In the moment the half-moon rose, created by one person’s power.
Hongryeon’s body soared into the air.
Meteor Strike…
No, that wasn’t it.
A meteor wasn’t falling. She was calling forth—
Stars.
Starlight.
“…I failed.”
“…I failed.”
The startled Sword Saint got up, forcing a wry smile as she spoke. To say she failed…
Did that mean she couldn’t create the energy?
At that moment, artificial starlight poured down, beginning to collide with the light produced by the crescent moon.
It was truly a spectacular sight. Amid the silence of those who aspired to become super humans, two women, nearly destroyed, stood glaring at each other.
“W-who won?!”
It was a shocking outcome. If things went well, the current top ten could soon become the top twelve, leaving everyone on edge.
Then, the Sword Saint glanced at them for a moment and spoke.
“Ryunsu won. She got lucky. And… no. It’s nothing. We’ll talk later.”
Thud. Chaejin collapsed onto the ground. Meanwhile, Hongryeon barely managed to stay upright by supporting herself with her great sword.
Watching Chaejin crash to the floor, Hongryeon sighed.
“…You really are the worst…”
“…Ha. Who am I to talk…?”
Both looked too exhausted to move, but usually, the one still standing was considered the victor.
Yoon-gak alternated his gaze between the two and shouted.
“This Seomhwa Village Martial Arts Tournament’s champion is Hongseong’s Hongryeon!!”
Although the results were out, they couldn’t hold the award ceremony. Both the winner and the runner-up had fainted and were being carried off, so what could be done?
Still, no one could deny it was a match worth seeing, allowing everyone to disperse satisfactorily.
Of course, I wasn’t satisfied.
After following Hongryeon and Chaejin to the inn and watching the Murim Alliance and council’s physicians diligently treating them, I finally managed a sigh.
“Ah…”
Since there were Hongseong people in the room with Hongryeon, I headed toward Chaejin’s room.
As I sat and looked at her, Chaeran stepped out with a bitter smile. I then saw Chaejin lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Approaching Chaejin, who turned her head slightly to look at me, I smiled ruefully at her.
“I lost.”
“The Sword Saint said Hongryeon was just lucky.”
“Luck is a part of skill too.”
“Why do you look so relaxed?”
I expected her to be wailing and making a scene about losing.
“Hehe, it’s not like I gained nothing. I’ll be able to get stronger.”
“Haha…”
I patted Chaejin’s head, and she smiled with delight.
“I promise.”
“Mm?”
“…Next time, I’ll win.”
As Chaejin said this with a gentle smile, I returned her smile.
“There won’t be a next time. These tournaments won’t be allowed anymore. I thought my heart would drop.”
“Hahaha~!”
Chaejin winked and playfully pulled my hand to her face, whispering softly.
“…We could settle this in other ways aside from tournaments.”
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